Today we started our day at 6:30am, we got ready and packed our stuff for our free weekend. We had our prayer work shop, ate breakfast and hopped right onto the bus.

Our first stop was at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum. The first step we took into the museum we already felt some of the pain that our people went through during the Holocaust. We had a guided tour around the museum where we learned about many of the hardships the Jewish people had faced during those years. Learning about the Holocaust means so much to us because our great grandparents had been a part of it and had to go through the pain. They did not get the opportunity to live life how it’s supposed to be lived. Since we entered the museum we’ve never felt so special and grateful to be able to live life to the fullest without having to worry about anything.

Our emotional day continued when we went to Mount Herzl where all the soldiers are buried. Being able to see the graves of the people who fought for our country as a Jewish state. Walking past all the graves and seeing the names of people who sacrificed their lives, who showed bravery to keep us all safe means so much knowing that they kept their promise to love this beautiful country.

“Remember only that I was innocent and, just like you, mortal on that day, I, too had had a face marked by rage, by pity and joy, quite simply, a human face” -Benjamin Fondane, Murdered Auschuwitz, 1944. This is one of the quotes found on the wall of Yad Vashem that really touched our hearts. We decided to included this because we think that the fact that this man was an innocent person like everyone else and just like us was murdered during the holocaust is very sad and scary.

Today was an emotional day and we are so excited to reunite with our families and friends in the homeland.

By: Megan Doron and Natalie Gabay